Latest news with #TexasLegislature
Associated Press
a day ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Bill that gives Texas increased oversight of largest energy users wins Legislature's approval
A bill that gives Texas oversight over energy transactions between power generators and the state's largest consumers of electricity heads to Gov. Greg Abbott after the Texas Legislature agreed on changes Thursday. Senate Bill 6 also proposes new ways to assess the amount of electricity that is available to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the main manager of the state's grid, giving them the authority to shut off power to industrial consumers in an emergency. 'What we've done here today may become the model for the rest of the country,' said state Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford, the bill's author. The bill would give ERCOT the power to oversee energy transactions between power generators and large consumers that don't involve the state's grid. ERCOT would also have the authority to cut their power and use it during an emergency. King has said his bill will allow the state to better manage electric supply at times of high demand. Power generators and companies said the new oversight measures proposed by the bill would be excessive for a market accustomed to the free trade of energy without requirements imposed by the state. They have said the bill could discourage companies from doing business in Texas. King said the new rules are not meant to do so. 'I think what this bill is seeking to do is set out clear rules where large load customers that want to come to Texas know what they're getting when they get here,' said state Rep. Ken King, R-Canadian, who sponsored the bill in the lower chamber. The bill would also require companies to disclose whether they have other projects in the state. Sen. Phil King said this would give ERCOT information to better predict and meet energy demands in the future more accurately. That's necessary to determine the state's electricity needs without overbuilding, which would result in higher rates for everyday consumers, he said. Texas will need almost double the electricity it consumes today to meet a demand driven mainly by data centers and the oil and gas industry, a demand that ERCOT President Pablo Vegas said the grid, in its current state, is capable of meeting when that demand arrives. Lawmakers added and removed some provisions from the bill during a debate in the House on Monday. One amendment got rid of a previously accepted proposal by state Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, which gave new large businesses in Texas the option to get electricity faster from the grid if they let ERCOT reduce their power consumption at will. Another amendment approved Monday, introduced by state Rep. Richard Peña Raymond, D-Laredo, would inject any excess electricity back into the grid and use any money from selling that energy to lower water bills for electricity ratepayers. Dan Diorio, senior director of state policy at the Data Center Coalition, a national group, said they were receptive to the changes sent to the upper chamber. The Data Center Coalition 'is appreciative that changes made to Senate Bill 6 during the legislative process intend to balance the need to support economic development with efforts to ensure the continued stability of the Texas electricity grid,' Diorio said. ___ This story was originally published by The Texas Tribune and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Bill expanding Texas student discipline options awaits Gov. Abbott's signature
The Brief A new bill has passed both sides of the Texas legislature, giving schools more options for student discipline. The bill allows for longer in-school suspensions, expands the use of out-of-school suspensions for younger students and those experiencing homelessness, and offers more flexible punishments for vaping. Governor Greg Abbott plans to sign the bill into law, and it is expected to take effect on Sept. 1. AUSTIN - A new bill has passed through both sides of the Texas legislature, aiming to increase options for student discipline in state schools. Gov. Greg Abbott says he plans to sign the bill into law once it reaches his desk, calling the proposal "common sense." The Proposal HB 6 would extend how long schools can place students on in-school suspension. Current law allows for three days; the proposed legislation would allow the suspension to last as long as schools deem appropriate, with principals required to review the placement every 10 days. "Repeated and significant" classroom disruption or threats to the health and safety of other children could now be met with out-of-school suspension, in a reversal of prior state laws that limited the punishment's use. Reporting by the Texas Tribune noted that the out-of-school suspension expansion would enable schools to discipline students experiencing homelessness, as well as students as young as kindergarten through the third grade. The bill also changes punishments for students caught with vapes. Schools previously were required to send such students to alternative education facilities; now, first-time offenders can be given less severe punishments, and alternative education programs can be administered remotely. The Texas House of Representatives passed HB 6 in April, and the Senate approved it last Wednesday, May 21. The House has now approved 19 Senate amendments to the bill, sending it to the governor's desk to be signed into law. What they're saying Abbott posted about HB 6 on X Wednesday night. "The school discipline bill passed the Texas House & is headed to my desk," Abbott said. "It's common sense to give teachers the authority to remove disruptive students from classrooms. We must restore discipline in our schools." The Texas Tribune quotes Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock), who championed the bill in the Senate. "Disruptions are impeding both the ability of teachers to teach and the ability of students to learn," Perry said. Perry went on to say that the bill has been six years in the making. "We've reached a crisis point where there's just some kids that absolutely are such a deterrent to the overall learning process that we have to find a better way," Perry said. "With that, HB 6 found that balance. I like where we landed." What's next As Abbott plans to approve the bill once it reaches his pen, it can be expected to take effect on Sept. 1. The Source Information in this article comes from Texas Legislature Online and the Texas Tribune.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas homeowners battle rising insurance rates, lawmakers offer no help
The Brief Over the past few years, Texas homeowners have seen their insurance premiums increase anywhere from 20%-60% year over year. Severe weather events and rising repair costs are key drivers of these increases, making homeownership more challenging for many. Despite the problem, Texas lawmakers have provided little to no help. DALLAS - Texas homeowners pay some of the highest insurance premiums in the country, and rates are increasing by double digits year over year. And there's not much relief in sight from the Texas Legislature. Big picture view The biggest challenge for homeowners and those who want to be homeowners is often not the price of the home. It's the property taxes and the cost of homeowners' insurance, which is required by mortgage companies. Severe weather in Texas – from hailstorms and tornadoes to pipe-bursting freezes – leads to billions of dollars in insurance claims each year. Then there's inflation driving up the cost to repair or replace property. While the Texas Legislature is providing property tax relief in the form of higher homestead exemptions, none of the bills filed this year that focused on homeowners' insurance will reach the governor's desk. Meanwhile, appraisal values have spiked, and insurance companies continue to raise rates. Local perspective Single dad Miguel Castro has been looking to buy a home for a few years now. "Yeah, I mean, they've doubled. I first started looking back in 2022, right after COVID. And back then it was going to be, I think, $1,000 to $1,200 for the year," he said. "Now it's looking like maybe $2,200 for the year. So that's double." Doreen Diego moved to Texas in 2019. Then after buying a home in a Denton neighborhood in 2021, her rates started going up. "We started at $1,200 a year. The next year, which would have been 2020, not much of an increase at all, very minimal," she said. "And I realized we went from $1,200 to $1,700. Still within reason. The next year we went to $2,700. The next year we went to $3,700. And our renewal just came up this month. We just paid it at $4,700." Diego said it's something people everywhere are talking about, but no one seems to be taking any action. What they're saying Realtor Ashley Gentry said the issue comes up often in conversations with prospective home buyers. "How about let's get the insurance checked on before we do any other due diligence on the home. That's the first thing during your option period that I'm telling my buyers to do. Just make sure they can actually afford the insurance premiums and it doesn't price them out of the home before they can even close on it," she said. Gentry said people who already own homes are seeing premiums increase anywhere from 20% to 60% year over year. She thinks it might take several legislative sessions before any meaningful changes are made. "I think that even more so than understanding why we're in this predicament, there needs to be a recalibration all together of what the insurance companies are doing," Diego added. The Source FOX 4 reporter Shaun Rabb talked to Realtor Ashley Gentry, homeowner Doreen Diego and potential homeowner Miguel Castro to gather information for this story. Some of the details also come from past news coverage of the Texas Legislature.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Pflugerville officially named the Trail Capital of Texas
The Brief Pflugerville now officially the Trail Capital of Texas Abbott signed SCR 4 which was introduced by Sen. Eckhardt, Rep. Cole The city says it maintains more than 71 miles of accessible trails PFLUGERVILLE, Texas - The city of Pflugerville now has the distinction of officially being the Trail Capital of Texas. What we know Gov. Greg Abbott recently signed SCR 4, which was introduced by state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt and state Rep. Sheryl Cole. SCR 4 designates the city as the official Trail Capital of Texas for a 10-year period ending in 2035. By the numbers Currently, the city says it maintains 60 miles of public trails within its limits as well as an additional 15.2 miles in its extraterritorial jurisdiction, totaling more than 71 miles of accessible paths. Pflugerville also boasts more public trails per capita than any other city in the state, with 1.49 miles per 2,000 residents. An estimated 94.8% of community members live within a half-mile of a trail. According to the 2025 Community Satisfaction Survey, 78% of community respondents are satisfied with the quality of Pflugerville parks and trails. Nearly 40% of respondents visit the trail system weekly. What they're saying "The Texas Legislature officially recognized Pflugerville as the Trail Capital of Texas, a title clearly reflected by the community of users we see on the trails every day," said Pflugerville Parks & Recreation Director Shane Mize. "The Pflugerville trails system connects the community. It's a path to increase health and wellness and also provides an alternative connection to retail and residential locations for pedestrians and cyclists throughout the city. With over 90% of our population within a 10-minute walk to a trail, it is more than the crown jewel of our park system. Trails connect us as a community." What you can do To celebrate the designation, Pflugerville is releasing special Trail Capital of Texas T-shirts at the Pflugerville RecCenter (400 Immanuel Road, Pflugerville, TX, 78660). Information on the shirts will be released on the city of Pflugerville's Parks and Recreation Department's social media accounts. The Source Information in this report comes from the city of Pflugerville and Texas Legislature records.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Texas to expand how schools discipline students
Texas schools will be able to use harsher punishments to discipline students after the Texas Legislature passed a sweeping package on Wednesday — part of their efforts to stem student violence after the pandemic . 'Disruptions are impeding both the ability of teachers to teach and the ability of students to learn,' said state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock. House Bill 6 would extend how long schools can place students in in-school suspensions from three days to as long as they see appropriate. Principals would need to review the placement every 10 days. Students facing in-school suspension still complete schoolwork in a different classroom on school grounds. Because the bill would allow schools to use out-of-school suspensions to discipline all students when they engage in 'repeated and significant' classroom disruption or threaten the health and safety of other children, it would make it easier for schools to discipline students experiencing homelessness and the state's youngest students. That's because the bill would reverse state laws from 2017 and 2019 that put limitations on when and how those students could be disciplined. When schools do out an out-of-school suspension to students in kindergarten through third grade, they'll need to provide documentation of the students' disruptive behavior. Both chambers have approved the legislation — the Senate last week and the House last month. With the House's approval Wednesday of 19 Senate amendments to the bill, 114-19, it now heads to the governor. The legislation also amends when schools send students to alternative education settings, a strict environment that often leans on computer-based work and is in a different building. While students caught vaping were previously required to go to alternative education settings, schools can now give students caught with a vape device less severe consequences if it is their first offense. Schools can also teach students in alternative education programs remotely — a mode of instruction that was shown to contribute to learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic. Perry, who shepherded the bill in the Senate, said the legislation was six years in the making. 'We've reached a crisis point where there's just some kids that absolutely are such a deterrent to the overall learning process that we have to find a better way,' Perry said on the Senate floor last week. 'With that, HB 6 found that balance. I like where we landed.' The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
